The Xiao banner, Invitation to a Mundane Life, is right around the corner in Genshin Impact, so you will need to think about if you want to roll on the banner to try to get him. This costs Primogems and Fates, so you will need to figure out pretty quickly if you are trying to get Xiao or get him to a high Constellation.
As always, there is a lot to think about here, so we will run through some important factors that you will need to consider before deciding what to do.
Important considerations
Beta players will tell you that Xiao is a greedy character, and to get the most out of him you will need him to be on-field a lot. You will need three solid characters that can back him up with their own abilities, then allow you to swiftly change back to Xiao again. One of them will need to be a strong off-field healer, as Xiao burns through his one health to use some of his abilities.
This means people who already main characters that are quite greedy, such as Razor, might be off to a good start. It is much easier to only need to build up a single character than a full party.
Xiao is also an Anemo character, so if you are missing a strong Anemo option then this could be a great character for you, as long as you are happy to switch to a main DPS who likes to be on-field a lot.
The other characters on the Banner also matter a lot and include Diona, Beidou, and Xinyan. Both Beidou and Xinyan will be an option during the free 4-Star event, so it may be pretty easy to get either character to a high Constellation level. All the characters have their own strengths and weaknesses, so once again you need to consider what you already have, and any gaps in your team.
Diona is a solid healer who can be an excellent choice when paired up with a Claymore user armed with the Snow-Tombed Starsilver, a sword you can get in the Dragonspine region. Her ability to quickly and regularly apply Cryo to enemies works incredibly well with this sword.
Beidou can work exceptionally well with very heavy elemental reaction parties, gives the benefits of having a Claymore user, and can break out some dramatic area of effect damage with her Elemental Burst. She also makes for an excellent pairing with Childe/Tartaglia.
Finally, Xinyan can be a very useful option if you are aiming for a double Pyro bonus if you have yet to roll a second Pyro character. She can also benefit your party through her shielding options.
Finally, the following Banner is also important, but not much is known about this right now. The Xiao Banner will be in the game until February 17, when it will be replaced by a new one featuring Keqing, Barbara, Ningguang and Bennet.
The rumor is that Hu Tao will follow that, but there is no confirmation about this either. It is actually a little strange to be this close to a new Banner and not have more information.
For now, the most important factor is whether you want a greedy DPS character or not. If yes, Xiao is a very strong option, and in the beta was capable of intense damage numbers. We will update this article with some expanded thoughts are soon as more information is revealed.
